ITANAGAR: The Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) has taken steps to improve network connectivity in Arunachal Pradesh, Union minister of state for communications and railways Manoj Sinha has said.

Responding to a letter by incumbent Arunachal MP Ninong Ering regarding poor network connectivty of BSNL in certain districts of Arunachal Pradesh, the minister in his reply on Monday informed that optical fibre cables in the state has been damaged extensively due to ongoing construction work of the trans-Arunachal highway. "Being a hilly terrain, it is very difficult to provide and maintain optical fibre cable network. But BSNL has taken steps to maintain connectivity and overcome the problem," the minister stated in his letter.

He further added that steps to improve network connectivity include providing satellite link in district headquarters of Pangin, Tawang, Seppa, Aalo, Yingkiong, Anini, Daporijo, Changlang, Koloriang, Hawai and Palin and microwave link in district headquarters of Bomdila, Pasighat, Likabali, Tezu, Khonsa, Namsai and Longding. Moreover, Sinha said, Itanagar has been provided alternate connectivity with Guwahati, Kolkata, Dimapur and Tezpur on the Power Grid Corporation of India Ltd internet bandwidth to increase reliability and uninterrupted service. Steps being taken to offer connectivity to Kamle, Shi-Yomi and Pakke Kessang district headquarters, he said.

BSNL has already been allocated on the frequency spectrum in 7 GHz band for deployment of microwave systems and action for procurement of equipment has been initiated, he said. Access spectrum in 800/900/1800/2100/2500 MHz band has also been assigned to BSNL in the northeast service area, the minister said, adding recommendations have been sought from Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) on methodology of allotment of spectrum for MWA/MWB spectrum to telecom service providers.

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After PSU banks, the government is likely to infuse capital in two chronically ill telecom PSUs BSNL and MTNL, and the Union Cabinet is likely to take a decision on 4G spectrum allocation to them by the third week of the current month after DoT places the note before it for consideration.

At a high-level meeting at the PMO late Tuesday, it was also decided that the two telcos will frame a Voluntary Retirement Scheme (VRS) to reduce their employee strength, which will be followed by a reduction in the retirement age to 58.